Description
The Counts Pliateris of Antazavė, who built a water mill and a tavern and established a folwark here at the end of the 18th century, borrowed the name of the place from the famous Marymont mill near Warsaw, which ground the highest-quality flour for luxury and festive baking; in Poland the place name most likely meant “Mary's Mountain” (Latin: Mari mont). At the top of the hill there is a spring that never freezes, and its water trickles downhill, so this section of the old Antazavė–Kriaunos road was always muddy and dangerous for people travelling with horse-drawn carts. To reduce the steepness of the hill, a stretch of the road was paved and a unique serpentine loop was built here (the only other such serpentine is in the eastern part of Vilnius). The Marimontas water mill not only ground flour but also carded wool, spun yarn and fulled homespun cloth, and it also had a sawmill. Workers lived in a nearby building, and passing travellers stopped at the tavern. The mill had a sizeable dam with a bridge that could carry not only horse-drawn carts but also cars. Unfortunately, around 1946–1947 the mill was destroyed by fire, so today only remnants of the stone masonry can be seen, and you can cross the remains of the dam on a footbridge. The place is also interesting because the Zalvė stream marks the administrative boundary between the Zarasai and Rokiškis districts, so when you step onto the footbridge, one foot will already be in the Rokiškis district. You can drive right up to the ruins of the Marimontas mill on a good forest road, or, if you like hiking, leave your car on the main road and walk along forest paths. You can easily spend half a day at this spot in Sartai Regional Park, as there are many forest paths, and signposts will help you find your way to other places of interest. Photos by Sartai Regional Park
